Oscar Predictions 2008

Time for the fearless Oscar predictions. Last year, I only got 15 out of the 24 categories right (I thought Babel would get some love). This year, I’m banking on the Coen brothers. By the way, I'm relieved that the writers' strike is over, so we can have a proper awards show. The Golden Globes sucked! Anyway, I assume you know the nominees already, so I’ll just predict who I think will win. (Remember, it’s not who I necessarily want to win, but who I think the Academy will vote for) Here goes from smaller awards to the bigger ones.

Live Action Short Film: At Night
(Three women in a cancer ward. Sounds moving. Haven’t seen it.)
Animated Short Film: Madame Tutli-Putli
(It’s Canadian. It’s on a train. It has interesting animation apparently)
Documentary Short: Sari’s Mother
(About a kid in Iraq with AIDS. Seriously, these short films are a crap-shoot.)
Sound Editing: No Country for Old Men
(Most are going for Transformers, I think the mix of silence & sound should win.)
Sound Mixing: No Country for Old Men
(More often than not, the film that wins best sound editing, wins this one too.)
Original Score: Atonement
(Love me some typewriter sounds.Gotta girl Atonement something.)
Original Song: “Falling Slowly” (Once)
(Enchanted songs cancel each other out. This one is supposed to be moving.)
Visual Effects: Transformers
(Those Transformers looked kick-ass! Pirates got their award last year.)
Make Up: La Vie En Rose
(The aging of Marion Cotillard is supposed to be amazing. Norbit better not win.)
Costume Design: Sweeny Todd
(I was gonna go with Atonement, but why play safe?)
Art Direction: Sweeny Todd
(Go, Tim Burton, go!)
Film Editing: No Country for Old Men
(It’ll be funny giving this award to a person who doesn’t exist.)
Cinematography: No Country for Old Men
(I really hope his double nomination doesn’t cancel him out; he so deserves it.)
Documentary Feature: No End in Sight
(Hollywood don’t like Bush. This doc gets the story straight without bias.)
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
(After the Happy Feet surprise last year, it’s back to the Pixar films for me.)
Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters
(It’s about the Holocaust. Seems pretty hands down.)
Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
(Imagine the Coen brothers getting three awards on Oscar night.)
Original Screenplay: Juno
(I really don’t think I need to explain this one. It’s a lock.)
Best Director: Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)
(It’s about time they got some credit for their wide body of work.)
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)
(This is the hardest one to predict. She played a guy really well. Why not?)
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
(Creepiest villain since Hannibal Lechter, give him a prize.)
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
(Would love Ellen Page to win but apparently this woman is amazing.)
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
(I’ll eat my hat if he loses this one. Luckily, I don’t wear hats, but still.)
Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
(Atonement is a little too safe for the Academy. Michael Clayton has great acting but not much else. Would love to see a comedy like Juno win, but that’ll never happen. There Will Be Blood is gaining momentum but it still seems a little too overshadowed by Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance. No Country for Old Men has it all: great acting, story, editing, cinematography, sound and more. I really hope this one wins.)

So let’s see how I do on Sunday. Who are you predicting? Feel free to comment and laugh if you think I’m way off.